NATURE TRIP IN UBUD, BALI, INDONESIA

The other side of Bali is
contradicting and quite physical if one opts to. Bali, Indonesia is not solely about beaches,
a tropical paradise indeed with a wider coverage on the scenic mountains,
volcanoes and plantations.

On one fine day, we have
decided to be in communion with nature. Made, our travel guide/driver from Bali Golden Tours will be the captain of our tour.
We let him decide where we shall wander.

TEGALALANG RICE TERRACES

The first order of business
is a scenic rice terraces. An early
morning walk amidst a green cascading rice paddies became an involuntary
exercise for us (at least for me).

The Tegalalang Rice Terraces
is situated five kilometers north of the Ubud Village and south of Central
Bali, approximately an hour from Denpasar Airport. As we alight from our van, I immediately
asked Made if the trek would take
kilometers before we are able to get the best vantage point for the famed rice
terraces. Fortunately, it only took a
few steps and a wide panorama of rice paddies came in view.

There are aligned shops and
restaurants as well offering the rice terraces as its imposing view. If one opts to get closer and witness how the
farmers do their routine, then a trekking is inevitable. For our group, we only
decided to take the few steps after crossing the bridge and be awed at the scenic landscape.

Along the way, there are
local residents who are now getting used to commerce as they seek for a minimal
fee for alleged “maintenance and preservation”.
Crossing a makeshift bamboo bridge, I saw a wooden box at a far end with
a signage for donation. A few steps
after another Balinese mans another box intended for donation again where some
tourists provide their share.

A number of tourists
comprise mostly of Europeans.They look
overwhelmingly amazed at every façade presented to them, with some doing stunts
over the picturesque backdrop.

The Philippines is known for
UNESCO-inscribed rice terraces and even a number are a typical rural setting. Tegalalang
Rice Terraces then becomes a familiar setting for us, Filipino tourists.The rice terraces of Tegalalang, Indonesia is nevertheless equally stunning and a must to visit when in Bali.

MOUNT BATUR AND LAKE

The tour guides/drivers from
Bali Golden Tours have suggested that it is best to wake up early morning and
do a hike at Mount Batur to witness the sunrise at the summit. They say it’s scenic and rewarding. For a short while (very short), we
entertained the idea but I know it would be impossible. We’re not a fan of trekking mountains after
all, especially in a foreign country where there are a lot more to discover and
given our time constraints.

There is an entrance fee to
enter the village at the foot of the Mount Batur, where a glimpse of the
mountain can be had. It was the most expensive entrance fee
we have paid so far, but definitely worth and reasonable. (30,000 IDR for each and 15,000 IDR for vehicle)

We passed by restaurants,
galleries, residential houses and pine trees with Mount Batur as the
picturesque backdrop.The mountain does
not hide from the clouds.We were truly
warmly welcomed.Days before the
thickness of the clouds hovers the summit and the façade of the mountain, as
shared by our guide.Fortunate for us,
the weather did cooperate.

Alighting from the van, we
had a few minutes of wandering over the viewpoint and position ourselves for
the mandatory touristy shots. There were
a number of peddlers offering varied items of souvenir and even a puppy.

Mount Batur (Gunung Batur)is
an active volcano located at the center of two concentric calderas north west
of Mount Agung, Bali, Indonesia.The
southwest wall of the inner caldera lies beneath Lake Batur.Lake Batur is the largest crater lake on the
island of Bali and a great source of fish for the villagers that thrive in the
caldera.

We were fortunate to have
seen the panoramic landscape of the lake and Mount Batur from a far without
having to hike and engage ourselves in a strenuous physical activity. Based on
research, on September 20, 2012 UNESCO made Mount Batur Caldera a part of the
Global Geopark Network.

After a number of photo
shoots, we decided to have our lunch at nearby warung.The eatery serves
the best satay with peanut sauce.Sans the mountain view, the warung is definitely highly recommended,
not to mention the cheap cost attached as compared to the restaurants across
with a view of Mount Batur.It was a
budget saver indeed.

PLANTATIONS

COFFEE AND COCOA

Indonesia is known for the
most expensive coffee in the world, the civit or kopi luwak. Kopi Luwak refers
to the seeds of coffee berries once they have been eaten and defecated by the
Asian palm civet.

We were fortunate that our
driver directed us to Oka Agriculture Bali, a producer of bali coffee, luwak coffee, cocoa and other spices. And
it was for free – no admission fees.

My attention was
particularly caught first by the Balinese architectural gates right across the
plantation.Then, we were ushered by a
staff of the plantation with an overview of the aligned coffee berries and the
sleeping civet.We passed by a cocoa
plantation as well and finally we were settled on a long table to taste test
the varied flavors of coffee, tea and cocoa.My personal favorites were the coffee ginsing and of course the pure
Bali cocoa.

And like any other
plantation open for tourists, the by-products are for sale in a corner. The free taste of dark chocolate made the
tour even more remarkable.

On the course of the day
tour, we were able to get a grasp of the agricultural and horticultural industry
of Bali, Indonesia.Aside from coffee, a
number of household maintain an orange tree and strawberry plantation.In fact, we passed by the hometown of our
driver known as an exporter of oranges.

And an added treat, a row of
golden yellow chrysanthemum made its presence known to us.

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About The Author

I am a CPA-lawyer by profession and a full-time wanderer. My tsinelas (slippers) have been my constant companion in my quest to discover the world we live in. No matter which part of the world I am, though oftentimes mistaken of a different nationality, I am always proud to wear my slippers, a mark of a Filipino wanderer.